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Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Reverend Robert S. Graetz Jr., a Lutheran minister and heroic Civil Rights Activist who passed away at the age of 92. In 1955, as a white minister Rev. Graetz alongside his wife Mrs. Jeannie Graetz came to Montgomery, Alabama to serve the all black congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church. Demonstrating tremendous courage, Rev. Graetz played a critical role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott by personally sacrificing his time and resources in the fight for equal rights.
Born on May 16, 1928 in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Rev. Graetz studied Theology at Capital University in Ohio, where he became interested in civil rights through his studies, founding a campus group to discuss race relations. After graduating in 1950, he attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio where he founded the Columbus N.A.A.C.P. chapter. In 1951, Rev. Graetz and Jeannie Ellis were married in East Springfield, Pennsylvania and together they had seven children.
Shortly after his arrival in Montgomery, Rev. Graetz became acquainted with the local N.A.A.C.P. youth council director Rosa Parks who held weekly meetings in the church pastored by Rev. Graetz. Rev. Graetz became active in the protest upon learning of the arrest of Rosa Parks. At his next Sunday service, he urged his parishioners to participate in the Bus Boycott and offered them a ride to work.
What originally began as a single day on December 5, 1955 turned into over a year of boycotting that ended on December 20, 1956. Rev. Graetz spent three hours every morning driving black members of the community to work. With his increasing involvement, he became an instrumental part of the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Rev. Graetz became the Secretary of the Montgomery Improvement Association, where he worked closely with Rosa Parks and avidly supported Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rev. Graetz was the only white minister to publicly support the efforts of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, making him and his family a target of the Ku Klux Klan. There were several threats and attempts on Rev. Graetz and his family's lives-- including two firebombs that damaged their home but thankfully harmed no one. Not to be deterred, Rev. Graetz loudly and proudly continued to fight for what he believed was the work of God in securing and defending the equal rights of his black church members. In support of Rosa Parks, he attended her court hearing and even attempted to sit in the colored section in the courtroom. Later, when the FBI urged Rev. Graetz and his family to leave Montgomery for their safety, they refused and remained unwavering in their public support of the Civil Rights Movement.
After the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rev. Graetz and his wife Jeannie left Montgomery and returned to Columbus, Ohio in 1958 where Rev. Graetz served another predominantly black congregation. In the following years, he and his wife traveled across the nation to advocate for civil rights--eventually spending 13 years in Washington, D.C. as a lobbyist for marginalized individuals.
Throughout his life, Rev. Graetz authored several publications including: A Congregational Guide to Human Relations; An Informed Church Serves a Diverse Society; Montgomery--a White Preacher's Memoir; and A White Preachers Message on Race and Reconciliation--Based on His Experiences Beginning with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rev. Graetz also received the following honors: Russwurm Award, National Negro Newspaper Publishers Association; Selma Humanitarian Award; Distinguished Alumnus, Trinity Lutheran Seminary; Doctor of Humanities, Capital University; Ohio Humanitarian Award; Ohio Governor's Humanitarian Award. After returning to Montgomery in 2007, Rev. Graetz and his wife dedicated their service to Alabama State University and hosted the annual Graetz Symposium at the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at Alabama State University.
On a personal note, I have tremendous respect and admiration for the significant contributions that Rev. and Mrs. Graetz made to fight for civil rights and racial equality in the Montgomery community. Grounded by his faith and genuine belief in the value of all God's children, Rev. Graetz led by example in supporting the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was the boycott of public transit in Montgomery for 381 days that resulted in the end of racial segregation in commerce across this nation. We owe a debt of gratitude to the personal sacrifice and threats to their lives that Rev. and Mrs. Graetz must have endured in the quest for equality and justice for all. To say thank you doesn't seem enough. May we rededicate ourselves to the cause of racial equality and reconciliation that exemplified the life's work of Reverend Graetz. And may the Lord say--well done thy good and faithful servant, Well Done.
On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary life and legacy of Reverend Robert S. Graetz, Jr., and his incredible contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.
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